Bury Your Face in My Shoulder
by PTGreat
Summary: Richard could never be an al Ghul, but he would never be without one either.
1. Chapter 1

"Bring me another nurse," Talia said coolly, crossing her arms over her chest while the dead woman's life blood dirtied the bathwater. "He will need another breast to suckle."

Beside her, Richard ignored the order—it wasn't for him anyways—and waded into the bath to scoop up Damian. The infant fussed at the boy for the sudden chill outside the warm water and his lack of a soft breast to feed him. When Ra's had first brought Richard into the League's fold, Talia had possessed only contempt for her father's latest pet project, an under grown child of poor pedigree that cried too much and reached out far too often for physical affection. But over the years Richard had proven himself to be loyal, deadly, and his adoration for Damian was equaled only by her own love.

And perhaps his desire for physicality was not quite the nuisance she implied it was. Perhaps it was…sweet to have a child's arms wrapped around her waist, a small face pressed against her belly. It was no one's business but her own how she felt about Richard. He grinned at Damian and attempted to tease him out of his crankiness with callused fingertips to a soft, round tummy. Talia stifled a quirk of her lips. He would have made an ideal nursemaid were he a woman. He did make an ideal companion for her son. A brother for now. Maybe a lover when Damian was of an age for such things. It mattered little how their relationship played out as long as Richard's devotion remained unwavering. And of that Talia had no doubts.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're security is terrible."

"Mm."

Dick lounged on the couch, reading a paperback, and didn't bother looking up at Damian even though the boy had just broken into his third-floor studio apartment by way of the diminutive balcony. Talia had tried to insist on a penthouse in the very best part of Gotham, but Dick preferred a lower lifestyle. Instead of young socialites playing at independence for neighbors, Dick had Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie across the hall whose daughter, Sarah, had just earned a BA in business management from Gotham University and was already working her way up in Wayne Enterprises, a former intern turned full benefits employee, and the two of them get along smashingly, Mrs. McKenzie was sure. People like the McKenzies needed fewer pretenses. Playing at being that nice young man in 221B who freelanced for the Gotham Gazette and had been oh so pleased to meet Vicki Vale when he first started was far more refreshing than being another wealthy Gothamite.

Damian huffed and shoved Dick's legs out his way so he could plant himself beside him on the couch, arms crossed over his chest. His Gotham Academy blazer was open, his tie was loosened, and the buttons of his perfectly pressed shirt were undone far enough to reveal the white cotton t-shirt beneath. The corner of Dick's mouth quirked but he just draped his displaced legs over Damian's lap, turned the page, and kept on reading.

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians?" Damian glowered at his book. "What kind of nonsensical drivel is that?"

"I think you'd like it."

"Tt. As if I would waste my time with children's literature."

"You say that but I know you tore through Harry Potter like your life depended on it."

"I simply wanted to know if the bumbling idiot died."

"Uh-huh. Because a google search couldn't have told you that."

"Don't sass me, Richard."

Dick let his head fall back and laughed. Thirteen going on fifty-seven, thirty was just too young for Damian. He'd probably yell at kids to get off his lawn too if the Wayne Manor weren't so out of the way and completed gated off to the public. Maybe threaten to sic that Great Dane on them too, as if Titus wasn't a precious softie, just like his master when he thought no one was looking. Dick was always looking. He tossed his book onto the coffee table and leaned forward, arms loosely folded and resting on his denim covered thighs.

"All right, habibi. Out with it."

"Out with what?"

Dick combed his fingers into the boy's short hair and tugged gently. Damian bent his neck with the soft force, but averted his gaze downwards, studying his spread hands on top of Dick's lower legs.

"School doesn't let out until 2:45."

"Early release for parent-teacher conferences."

"That's next week."

Silence. Then Damian turned his face completely away.

"With Drake in college, Father has decided to retire Robin."

The news was not exactly a surprise but Damian's voice was painfully nonchalant. Chest tight, Dick shifted, bracketing Damian with his legs and securing him against his chest with arms wrapped over his shoulders and cheek flush with the soft, warm skin of the boy's throat.

"Where did I fail?"

Talia may have loved Bruce Wayne, and Damian fitfully yearned for his father's approval, but Dick hated him. He hated him for hurting his family. For making them feel like they were less because they didn't ascribe to his rigid, hypocritical morality that often cost just as many innocent lives as their lifestyle did if not more. When it didn't have to. Should Dick have left Tony Zucco to destroy more families like the man had his?

"The only failing here is Bruce Wayne's," Dick tightened his arms around Damian. "He can't see how blessed he is to have you. How lucky Batman would be to have such an amazing Robin."

He pressed a chaste kiss beneath the boy's jaw. Then when Damian was as relaxed as he would ever be, he blew a raspberry there instead. Damian jerked and made a sound of disgust.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

He grinned then did it again. Damian flailed against him, landing several hits but unable to escape the young man's octopus limbs that were wound around him now.

"What are you? Five?"

Phbbbbbt. He twisted and struggled but only succeeded in finding himself trapped on his back instead and even more at Dick's mercy. His shirts were rucked up and his stomach was in easy harassing distance now.

"I am not a child!"

Phbbbbbt. Dick threw in a few wet, smacking kisses too, each one landing in a different spot.

"Stop it!"

Dick laughed and peppered his face with little butterfly kisses and smooches. Damian finally chose to go limp against the onslaught of physical affection.

"You're ridiculous."

"I love you too."


End file.
